Second Essay Some of you are still writing book reports instead of writing a reflective essay according to the prompts. Many Essays did not properly address prompt B as a logical extension of the your prompt A response. Again, re-read your essay to check if you have adequately responded to the prompts

Prompt A This can be done in a straightforward manner: Aristotle: = the universe is ordered and operated by a small number of principles (air, earth, fire,water) Descartes: = 5 or 6 principles Kepler: = 3 laws (which show harmony) Newton: = 3 Laws so that natural philosophy becomes math All of this work mostly re-affirms the idea that nature is ordered, “simple” and mechanical. So, no revolution has occurred  randomness and uncertainty are not part of the cultural world view The development of more advanced tools that can take more accurate measurements and uncover new phenomena do not force a scientific revolution.

Prompt B Descartes (and to some extent Newton) outline a process for obtaining explanations (e.g. the Truth). Removal of doubt, exactness of expressions Kant argues that there is no structure in Nature but that structure is found in the ordered mind; mathematics is the best manifestation of this ordered structure Using the path of Reason then let’s this structure take hold, and all is explainable – hence the world is intelligible to the rational man

Not Relevant Scientists like Cusa and Bruno are not very relevant to the prompt. Their work about relative positions is only tangential to what is being asked. Copernicus is only relevant if you talk about him in the context that circular orbits (nested circular epicycles) reaffirm order. Galileo and Tyco are the least relevant – although they do show that the Universe is not perfect or changeless – but the prompts are not asking about this

A common idea/mistake The underlying assumption of an ordered universe still drove scientists to try new methods to discover phenomena with greater levels of certainty This idea was used by many but its really backwards. Science done during this time was not driven by anything except a desire to better explore nature (with better instruments or techniques). The result of that exploration was the strong affirmation of ORDER!

Themes A well constructed essay (and there were about ½ a dozen) should make use of accumulating evidence to synthesize points that are consistent with the prompts. For instance, what the accumulating evidence is there for order, simplification, experimentation, accuracy and doubt throughout this historical period? Note also – the universe can be ordered without the need for a diving being, despite what Luther says

Themes 2 Interesting Kant interpretation from plato. stanford.edu He (Kant) thus sought to locate the concept of God within a systematically ordered set of basic philosophical principles that account for the order and structure of world (this is similar to Descarte's view) Remember, perfection in terms of perfect circles exists in the ancient world, Aristotle, and continues through Copernicus. It is Kepler who empirically shows this is not the case. The use of math gives the perception of perfect and precise and the Clockwork Universe is best manifest as Kepler's Third Law (left out by most of you)